Science Fiction & Fantasy Catalogue: July 2018

All the books in this catalogue are new books due for release in July 2018.

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Because they are new books, we are at the whim of the publishers and, to some extent, the shipping companies – books can sometimes arrive later (or earlier) than, or occasionally be a different retail price, than originally quoted. Because space is a luxury, we bring in limited quantities of books. Prices are subject to change without notice.

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1–2 paperbacks (up to 500g), $7.95

2–10 paperbacks or any trade paperbacks or hardcovers, within Brisbane, is $10.70

Iron and MagicAndrews, Ilona
Hugh d’Ambray, Preceptor of the Iron Dogs, Warlord of the Builder of Towers, is a shadow of the warrior he was; but when he learns that the Iron Dogs, soldiers who would follow him anywhere, are being hunted down and murdered, he must make a choice: to fade away or to be the leader he was born to be. Hugh knows he must carve a new place for himself and his people, but they have no money, no shelter, and no food, and the necromancers are coming… The first in a new series.Urban fantasy | TP | $37.95

Rituals (Cainsville 05)Armstrong, Kelley
Now, there is a new, terrifying power rising – one that doesn’t distinguish between good and evil intentions. It feeds on chaos and destroys without mercy. Unless Liv acts fast, no one will survive. The gripping finale to the highly-acclaimed Cainsville series.Urban fantasy | PBK | $19.99

Polity Agent (Agent Cormac 04)Asher, Neal
From 800 years in the future, a runcible gate is opened into the Polity. Those coming through it have been tasked with taking the alien ‘Maker’ back to its home civilisation in the Small Magellanic cloud. Once these refugees are safely through, the gate itself is rapidly shut down – because something alien is pursuing them. From those who get through, agent Cormac learns that the Maker civilisation has been destroyed by pernicious virus known as the Jain technology. This raises questions: why was Dragon, a massive bioconstruct of the Makers, really sent to the Polity; why did a Jain node suddenly end up in the hands of someone who could do the most damage with it? Meanwhile an entity called the Legate is distributing toxic Jain nodes… and a renegade attack ship, The King of Hearts, has encountered something very nasty outside the Polity, itself…Science fiction reissue | PBK | $18.99

Line War (Agent Cormac 04)Asher, Neal
The Polity is under attack from a ‘melded’ AI entity with control of the lethal Jain technology, yet the attack seems to have no coherence. When one of Erebus’ wormships kills millions on the world of Klurhammon, a high-tech agricultural world of no real tactical significance, agent Ian Cormac is sent to investigate, though he is secretly struggling to control a new ability no human being should possess… and beginning to question the motives of his AI masters. Further attacks and seemingly indiscriminate slaughter ensue, but only serve to bring some of the most dangerous individuals in the Polity into the war. Mr Crane, the indefatigable brass killing machine sets out for vengeance, while Orlandine, a vastly-augmented haiman, who herself controls Jain technology, seeks a weapon of appalling power and finds allies from an ancient war. Meanwhile, Mika – scientist and Dragon expert – is again kidnapped by that unfathomable alien entity and dragged into the heart of things: to wake the makers of Jain technology from their five-million-year slumber. But Erebus’ attacks are not so indiscriminate, after all, and could very well herald the end of the Polity itself…Science fiction reissue | PBK | $18.99

Stone Clock (Spin Cycle 03)Bannister, Andrew
It is a hundred millennia after Iron Gods. The Spin is at the end of its life and its diminished inhabitants are divided between those who live unknowingly in the relative paradise of one of hundreds of Virtual Realities – ‘vrealities’ – and those who scrape a living in what remains of the real world. But running the increasingly huge servers needed to maintain the vrealities is draining the last resources of the Spin, leading to conflict between those who tend the servers and those who believe they should simply be switched off, and so killing millions. There is one individual who divides his time between the real and the vrealities, finds himself caught up in this escalating and seemingly futile war. Meanwhile, in a remote star system, an ancient insectoid called Skarbo the Horologist observes The Spin. He has been doing so for several lifetimes. But now he notes the accelerating signs of decline in what he unfashionably considers to be a giant complex clock. And Skarbo too is about to die for the very last time. He had resigned himself to never visiting the object of his studies, but decides to make a last journey – travelling across a war-torn galaxy to what will be his final destination: the Spin. There he will learn of the artificial system’s past – and its future – while there is one who will discover the real nature of the vrealities – and the part he has to play in their future… The exciting conclusion to the series Iain believes claims the post-Banks sf mantle, following Creation Machine and Iron Gods. (PBK, $19.99 each).Science fiction | TP | $32.99

Space Unicorn BluesBerry, T J
Humanity joining the intergalactic community has been a disaster for Bala, the magical creatures of the galaxy: they’ve been exploited, enslaved and ground down for parts. Now, the Century Summit is approaching, when humans will be judged by godlike aliens. When Jenny Perata, disabled Maori shuttle captain, is contracted to take a shipment to the summit, she must enlist half-unicorn Gary Cobalt, whose horn powers faster-than-light travel. But he’s just been released from prison, for murdering the wife of Jenny’s co-pilot, Cowboy Jim… When the Reason regime suddenly enact laws making Bala property, Jenny’s ship becomes the last hope for magic.Space fantasy | PBK | $19.99

HiveBetts, A J
Hayley tends to her bees and follows the rules in the only world she has ever known. Until she witnesses the impossible: a drip from the ceiling. A drip? It doesn’t make sense. Yet, she hears it, catches it. Tastes it. Curiosity is a hook. What starts as a drip leads to a lie, a death, a boy, a beast, and too many awful questions.YA science fiction | PBK | $16.99

Heart on Fire (Kingmaker Chronicles 03)Bouchet, Amanda
Cat must take a final, terrifying step – reuniting all three realms and taking her place as the Queen of Thalyria. What doesn’t kill her will only make her stronger… one hopes. Follows A Promise of Fire and Breath of Fire (PBK, $19.99 each).Fantasy | PBK | $19.99

The PiscesBroder, Melissa
Lucy, a heartbroken PhD student, staying in a beautiful home overlooking Venice Beach, can find no peace from her misery… not in therapy, not in Tinder hook-ups, not in her sister’s dog’s unquestioning devotion, not in ruminating on the ancient Greeks. Yet, everything changes, when Lucy becomes entranced by an eerily attractive swimmer, one night, while sitting alone on the beach rocks…Fantasy | TP | $29.99

The Skaar Invasion (Fall of Shannara 02)Brooks, Terry
Tensions in the Four Lands are high. The mysterious force that laid waste to Paranor has revealed a more human face. While some gain a new understanding of the invaders and what they are after, others continue their existing quests even as the peril rises. For what looked to be a formidable invading force proves only the forerunner of a much vaster army, one that is now marching against the Four Lands in all its fury…Fantasy | TP | $32.99

The Black Elfstone (Fall of Shannara 01)Brooks, Terry
The Four Lands has been at peace for generations, but now a mysterious army of invaders is cutting a bloody swath across a remote region of the land. No one knows who they are, where they come from, or what they are after – and most seem content to ignore these disturbing events. The only people who sense a greater, growing threat and wish to uncover the truth are society’s outcasts: an exiled High Druid, a conflicted warrior, a teenage girl struggling to master a prodigious magic… and a scrappy young orphan, improbably named Shea Ohmsford.Fantasy | PBK | $19.99

StarlessCarey, Jacqueline
Destined from birth to serve as protector of the princess Zariya, Khai is trained in the arts of killing and stealth by a warrior sect in the deep desert; yet there is one profound truth that has been withheld from him. In the court of the Sun-Blessed, Khai must learn to navigate deadly intrigue and his own conflicted identity. But in the far reaches of the western seas, the dark god Miasmus is rising, intent on nothing less than wholesale destruction. If Khai is to keep his soul’s twin Zariya alive, their only hope lies with an unlikely crew of prophecy-seekers on a journey that will take them farther beneath the starless skies than anyone can imagine.Fantasy | HC | $36.99

The Final Frontier: Stories of Exploring Space, Colonizing the Universe, and First Contact (anthology)Clarke, Neil (editor)
The urge to explore and discover is a natural and universal one, and the edge of the unknown is expanded with each passing year as scientific advancements inch us closer and closer to the outer reaches of our solar system and the galaxies beyond them. Generations of writers have explored these new frontiers and the endless possibilities they present in great detail. With galaxy-spanning adventures of discovery and adventure, from generations’ ships to warp drives, exploring new worlds to first contacts, science fiction writers have given readers increasingly new and alien ways to look out into our broad and sprawling universe. This anthology delivers stories from across this literary spectrum, a reminder that the universe is far large and brimming with possibilities than we could ever imagine, as hard as we may try. 600 pages.Science fiction | TP | $35.95

Paradox BoundClines, Peter
The traveller sped through Eli Teague’s life, long ago. With her tricorne hat, flintlock rifle, and steampunked Model-A Ford, she was a living anachronism, and an irresistible mystery – and she was gone as soon as she arrived, in a cloud of gunfire and a squeal of tires. So, when Eli sees her again, he’s determined that, this time, he’s going to get some answers. But his hunt soon yields far more than he bargained for, plunging him headlong into a dizzying world full of competing factions and figures straight out of legend…Time travel | TP | $29.99

he: A NovelConnolly, John
An extraordinary reimagining of the life of one of the greatest screen comedians the world has ever known: a man who knew both adoration and humiliation; who loved, and was loved in turn; who betrayed, and was betrayed; who never sought to cause pain to others, yet left a trail of affairs and broken marriages in his wake… And whose life was ultimately defined by one relationship of such tenderness and devotion that only death could sever it: his partnership with the man he knew as Babe. he is Stan Laurel. But he did not really exist. Stan Laurel was a fiction. With he, John Connolly recreates the golden age of Hollywood for an intensely compassionate study of the tension between commercial demands and artistic integrity, the human frailties behind even the greatest of artists, and one of the most enduring and beloved partnerships in cinema history: Laurel & Hardy.Fiction | PBK | $22.99

The Day After GettysburgConroy, Robert & Dunn, J R
After a terrible setback at Gettysburg, General Robert E Lee does not retreat across the Potomac and his ultimate surrender at Appomattox. Instead, he turns the tables on Union General George Meade with a vicious counterattack that sets the Union Army on its heels. While Lee sets across Pennsylvania in a dazzling war of manoeuvre, a crazed actor closes in on President Abraham Lincoln. Standing in his way is Major Steve Thorne, a thoughtful lawyer-turned-soldier fighting for the Union and his own self-respect, and Cassandra Baird, a young woman whose courage is only surpassed by her determination to teach emancipated slaves to read and write, and so ensure their freedom. Opposing them is Colonel Corey Wade, a brave Confederate officer who is just as determined to fight to the death for his honour, and that of his state. And, in the end, the fate of a nation may come down to a freed slave named Hadrian, a man with an iron resolve never to return to bondage. The time has come to strike a blow for liberty – or go down swinging!Alternate history | PBK | $19.95

Wrath of Kings (Dread Empire) (omnibus)Cook, Glen
An omnibus edition of the final three Dread Empire novels (Reap the East Wind, An Ill Fate Marshalling, and A Path to Coldness of Heart). This epic narrative had been put on hold when the original manuscript to the final volume was stolen. Cook returned to the Dread Empire twenty years later, completely rewriting the concluding novel.Epic fantasy | HC | $66.95

Wrath of Kings (Dread Empire) (omnibus)Cook, Glen
The Dread Empire spans a continent: from the highest peaks of the Dragon’s Teeth to the endless desert lands of Hammad al Nakir; from besieged Kavelin to mighty Shinsan… The time of the wrath of kings is close at hand. Bragi Ragnarson, now the king of Kavelin, has decided to join forces with Chatelain Mist, the exiled princess of Shinshan looking to usurp her throne. But in the deserts on the outskirts of the empire, a young victim of the Great Eastern Wars becomes the Deliverer of an eons-forgotten god, chosen to lead the legions of the dead. An omnibus edition of the final three Dread Empire novels (Reap the East Wind, An Ill Fate Marshalling, and A Path to Coldness of Heart).Epic fantasy | HC | $66.95

Saints (Monster Hunter Memoirs 03)Correia, Larry & Ringo, John
‘This is New Orleans.’ That mantra had rung in Chad Gadenier’s ears since his first day working in the Big Easy. Everything was different in New Orleans. The food. The climate. The monsters. Even the shadowy and reprehensible MCB was different. But that’s just the beginning. The real reason New Orleans is so different is a larval Great Old One growing day by day in power and just about ready to pop. If Chad can’t convince ‘the powers that be’ to get involved, not only New Orleans but the entire world is going to fall under the power of the nastiest of nasties. Now on the outs with the US Government and in exile from his usual job of saving the world, Chad must rally the forces of light against the coming darkness. The problem is one guy with a sword and a sub-gun isn’t going to solve this one. Fortunately, Chad’s made a few friends over the years. And the Fey hate Old Ones as much as God’s people, and they’re not about to give up this world without a fight. If the Saints don’t come marching in on this one… there won’t be a Final Battle. There will be a final massacre. Now, where’d he put that number for the ditzy, fey princess…?Urban fantasy | HC | $47.95

Clockwork City (Delphic Division 02)Crilley, Paul
I have to start over from scratch, and who do I have to help me find my daughter’s killer? The reanimated corpse of my boss, a low-rent PI, who’s heavily into conspiracy theories, and my alcoholic, foul-mouthed demonic sidekick dog. Our journey will take us from Durban, South Africa to London, England, where we’ll have to contend with Fae gangs fighting for territory, the murder-suicide of two Delphic agents, and the seven deadly sins… The fog-choked sequel to Poison City (PBK, $19.99).Urban fantasy | PBK | $19.99

Red Vengeance (Dark Victory 02)Dubois, Brendan
US Army Sergeant Randy Knox is sixteen, and already a seasoned veteran. He is an alien killing prodigy who has eradicated more of the invading Creepers than anyone can keep track of. But Randy is also a high-school student struggling with geometry. And he is a young man whose heart is being pulled in two directions by two very different girls. One, Abby Monroe, a straightforward warrior. The other, Serena Coulson, dangerous and mysterious. Randy, with the help of Serena’s strange brother, alien interpreter Buddy Coulson, has convinced a Creeper base to surrender. After a decade of conflict, misery, and the death of millions of humans, it finally seems that the war may come to an end. But then the surrender effort turns into a bloody ambush. More disturbing, Buddy and Serena Coulson arrive, having escaped torture and interrogation at the hands of a CIA operative. It begins to dawn on Randy that, as much as he doesn’t want to believe it, the powers-that-be may not want the war to be over. Now, as Randy’s hodgepodge military unit makes a desperate stand at a remote outpost, young Sergeant Randy Knox learns just how far he will go to protect those he loves – and what it takes to save humanity from total alien domination. A sequel to Dark Victory (PBK, $19.95).Military SF | PBK | $19.95

The Last Sun (Tarot Sequence 01)Edwards, K D
‘New Atlantis is a self-contained nation of magic users, ensconced on Nantucket Island after a devastating war and ruled by courts named for the major arcana of the tarot. Rune St John and his bound companion and bodyguard, Brand, are the last survivors of the fallen Sun Court; they make a living doing odd jobs involving varying degrees of danger, mostly for the formidable Lord Tower. After participating in an attack on the Lovers Court, Rune and Brand end up shielding the sheltered and abused grandson of Lady Lovers and searching for the missing son of Lady Justice. Edwards’s debut combines swashbuckling action, political intrigue, and romance into a fast-paced and enjoyable adventure.’ – Publisher’s Weekly.Fantasy | TP | $33.95

Winter Tide (Innsmouth Legacy 01)Emrys, Ruthanna
After attacking Devil’s Reef in 1928, the US government rounded up the people of Innsmouth and took them to the desert, far from their ocean, their Deep One ancestors, and their sleeping god Cthulhu. Only Aphra and Caleb Marsh survived the camps, and they emerged without a past or a future. The government that stole Aphra’s life, now needs her help. FBI agent Ron Spector believes that Communist spies have stolen dangerous magical secrets from Miskatonic University, secrets that could turn the Cold War hot in an instant, and hasten the end of the human race.Cthulhuiana | PBK | $22.99

Dark Challenge (Dark 05)Feehan, Christine
Carpathian vampire hunter Julian Savage is powerful but tormented. But he has one last duty to fulfil before he gives himself over to the dawn and certain death. He has to warn the famous singer, Desari, that she is being targeted by vicious human vampire hunters who will stop at nothing to hurt those they believe are vampires. But when Julian hears Desari sing he realises she is the woman he has always sought – his lifemate. Desari is most definitely Julian’s match but she has great powers of her own. And she is not happy when a mysterious stranger enters her mind and begins giving her orders!Paranormal romance | PBK | $14.99

The Serpent (Immortal Dealers 01)Fine, Sarah
With a handful of stolen cards, Ernie has just been made an unwilling player in a game of good versus evil. But she’s not even playing with a full deck, and its original owner is more than happy to kill to get his cards back. Suddenly, Ernie’s matching wits and plays with the supernatural Immortal Dealers, who can raise empires, damn souls, and shape the world’s destiny. It’s up to Ernie to defeat the most brutal member of their order. And if her roguish new ally isn’t bluffing, he can help. The mystery is all in the cards, and to save her life – and humanity – Ernie had better learn how to deal.Urban fantasy | TP | $29.95

Beauty in ThornsForsyth, Kate
The Pre-Raphaelites were determined to liberate art and love from the shackles of convention. Ned Burne-Jones had never had a painting lesson and his family wanted him to be a parson. Only young Georgie Macdonald – the daughter of a Methodist minister – understood. She put aside her own dreams to support him, only to be confronted by many years of gossip and scandal. Dante Gabriel Rossetti was smitten with his favourite model, Lizzie Siddal. She wanted to be an artist herself, but was seduced by the irresistible lure of laudanum. William Morris fell head-over-heels for a ‘stunner’ from the slums, Janey Burden. Discovered by Ned, married to William, she embarked on a passionate affair with Gabriel that led inexorably to tragedy. Margot Burne-Jones had become her father’s muse. He painted her as Briar Rose, the focus of his most renowned series of paintings, based on the fairy-tale that haunted him all his life. Yet, Margot longed to be awakened to love.Historical fantasy | PBK | $19.99

The Grey Bastards (Lot Lands 01)French, Jonathan
Jackal is proud to be a Grey Bastard, member of a sworn brotherhood of half-orcs. Unloved and unwanted in civilised society, the Bastards eke out a hard life in the desolate no-man’s-land called the Lots, protecting frail and noble human civilisation from invading bands of vicious full-blooded orcs. But as Jackal is soon to learn, his pride may be misplaced. Because a dark secret lies at the heart of the Bastards’ existence – one that reveals a horrifying truth behind humanity’s tenuous peace with the orcs, and exposes a grave danger on the horizon… ‘The Grey Bastards dragged me in immediately. A bloody good tale of battles, intrigue, betrayal, duty and frickin’ war pigs’ – Brian McClellan. The first in a series.Military fantasy | PBK | $19.99

How to Stop TimeHaig, Matt
How many lifetimes does it take to learn how to live? Tom Hazard has a dangerous secret. He may look like an ordinary 41-year-old history teacher, but he’s been alive for centuries. From Elizabethan England to Jazz-Age Paris, from New York to Byron Bay, Tom has seen it all. As long as he keeps changing his identity, he can keep one step ahead of his past – and stay alive. The only thing he must not do is fall in love… Much recommended!Speculative fiction | PBK | $19.99

Kill the Farm Boy (Tales of Pell 01)Hearne, Kevin & Dawson, Delilah S
Once upon a time, in a faraway kingdom, a hero, the Chosen One, was born… and so begins every fairy tale ever told. This is not that fairy tale. There is a Chosen One, but he is unlike any One who has ever been Chosened. And there is a faraway kingdom, but you have never been to a magical world quite like the land of Pell. The first in a new series of satirical fantasy.Humorous fantasy | HC | $49.95

Suicide ClubHeng, Rachel
Some time, in the near future, thanks to medical technology HealthTechTM, immortality is now within humanity’s grasp. The Suicide Club hasn’t always been an activist group. Initially, it was a group of disillusioned lifers, gathering to indulge in forbidden, hedonistic activities: performances of live music, traditional meals of the most artery-clogging kind, irresponsible orgies… You name it. Now, branded terrorists, anyone found guilty of wanting the right to die as they choose will find themselves fast-tracked to the Third Wave and condemned to immortality…Science fiction | TP | $29.99

Strange Weather: Four Short NovelsHill, JoeSnapshot is the disturbing story of a Silicon Valley adolescent who finds himself threatened by ‘the Phoenician’, a tattooed thug who possesses a Polaroid Instant Camera that erases memories, snap by snap. A young man takes to the skies to experience his first parachute jump… and winds up a castaway on an impossibly solid cloud, a Prospero’s island of roiling vapor that seems animated by a mind of its own in Aloft. On a seemingly ordinary day in Boulder, Colorado, the clouds open up in a downpour of nails – splinters of bright crystal that shred the skin of anyone not safely under cover. Rain explores this escalating apocalyptic event, as the deluge of nails spreads out across the country and around the world. In Loaded, a mall security guard in a coastal Florida town courageously stops a mass shooting and becomes a hero to the modern gun rights movement. But under the glare of the spotlights, his story begins to unravel, taking his sanity with it. When an out-of-control summer blaze approaches the town, he will reach for the gun again and embark on one last day of reckoning. Four short novels, ranging from creepy horror, to powerful explorations of our modern society, now in paperback.Speculative fiction | PBK | $19.99

EverlessHolland, Sara
Time is a prison. She is the key. In the land of Sempera, the rich control everything – even time. Ever since the age of alchemy and sorcery, hours, days and years have been extracted from blood and bound to iron coins. The rich live for centuries; the poor bleed themselves dry. Jules and her father are behind on their rent and low on hours. To stop him from draining himself to clear their debts, Jules takes a job at Everless: the grand estate of the cruel Gerling family. There, Jules encounters danger and temptation in the guise of the Gerling heir, Roan, who is soon to be married…YA fantasy | PBK | $16.99

Apocalypse Nyx (collection)Hurley, Kameron
Ex-government assassin turned bounty-hunter, Nyx, is good at solving other people’s problems. Her favourite problem-solving solution is punching people in the face. Then, maybe, chopping off some heads. Hey – it’s a living. Nyx’s disreputable reputation has been well earned. After all, she’s trying to navigate an apocalyptic world full of giant bugs, contaminated deserts, scheming magicians, and a centuries-long war that’s consuming her future. Managing her ragtag squad of misfits has required a lot of morally-grey choices. Every new job is another day alive. Every new mission is another step toward changing a hellish future – but only if she can survive. A collection of stories featuring Nyx, who first appears in the barnstorming God’s War ($22.99).Science fiction | TP | $31.95

Darien (Empire of Salt trilogy 01)Iggulden, C F
Twelve Families. One Throne. Welcome to the Empire of Salt. As three strangers make their way towards the very heart of Darien, a creature from the old world appears, whose abilities may be the undoing, of them all. The first in a new series.Adventure fantasy | PBK | $19.99

Marked (Alex Verus 09)Jacka, Benedict
Alex Verus is tracking down dangerous magical items unleashed into the world by Dark Mages – however, when the Light Council decide they need his help in negotiating with the perpetrators, Alex must use all his cunning and magic to strike a deal. The first in this great series is Fated (PBK, $19.99).Urban fantasy | PBK | $19.99

Godsgrave (Nevernight 02)Kristoff, Jay
Mia Corvere, destroyer of empires, has found her place among the Blades of Our Lady of Blessed Murder, but many in the Red Church ministry do not believe she has earned it. Upon the sands of the arena, Mia finds new allies, bitter rivals, and more questions about her strange affinity for the shadows. But as conspiracies unfold, secrets are revealed, and the body count rises within the collegium walls, Mia will be forced to choose between her loyalties and her revenge. The sequel to Nevernight (PBK, $19.99).Fantasy | PBK | $19.99

Heroine’s Journey (Heroine Complex 03)Kuhn, Sarah
If there’s one thing Beatrice Tanaka never wanted to be, it’s normal. But somehow, her life has unfolded as a series of ‘should haves’. Her powers of emotional projection should have made her one of the most formidable superheroes of all time. And she should have been allowed to join her older sister Evie as a full-fledged protector of San Francisco, pulverising the city’s plethora of demon threats. And this should have led to tons of adventures, excitement, and a generally fabulous life. But Evie and her superhero partner, Aveda Jupiter, still insist on seeing Bea as the impulsive, tempestuous teenager she use to be – even though she’s now a totally responsible twenty something adult. And that means they’ve never given her a chance. And that means Bea is currently living a thoroughly normal life. She works as a bookstore lackey, hangs out with best friends Sam Fujikawa and Leah Kim, and uses her power to calm her workplace’s more difficult customers. Sure, she’s not technically supposed to be playing with people’s mental states. But given the mundanity of her current existence, who can blame her? When a mysterious being starts communicating with Bea, hinting at an evil that’s about to rise up and overtake the city, she seizes the opportunity to finally prove herself as a hero, hoping to turn her ‘should haves’ into the fabulous life she’s always wanted. But gaining that life may mean sacrificing everything – and everyone – she holds dear…Urban fantasy | TP | $29.95

Heroine Worship (Heroine Complex 02)Kuhn, Sarah
Once upon a time, Aveda Jupiter (aka Annie Chang) was demon-infested San Francisco’s most beloved superheroine, a beacon of hope and strength and really awesome outfits. But all that changed the day she agreed to share the spotlight with her best friend and former assistant Evie Tanaka – who’s now a badass, fire-wielding superheroine in her own right. They were supposed to be a dynamic duo, but more and more, Aveda finds herself shoved into the sidekick role. Where, it must be said, she is not at all comfortable. It doesn’t help that Aveda’s finally being forced to deal with fallout from her diva behaviour – and the fact that she’s been a less than stellar friend to Evie. Or that Scott Cameron – the man Aveda’s loved for nearly a decade – is suddenly giving her the cold shoulder after what seemed to be some promising steps toward friendship. Or that the city has been demon-free for three months in the wake of Evie and Aveda’s apocalypse-preventing battle against the evil forces of the Otherworld, leaving Aveda without the one thing she craves most in life: a mission. All of this is causing Aveda’s burning sense of heroic purpose – the thing that’s guided her all these years – to falter. In short, Aveda Jupiter is having an identity crisis. When Evie gets engaged and drafts Aveda as her maid-of-honour, Aveda finally sees a chance to reclaim her sense of self and sets out on a single-minded mission to make sure Evie has the most epic wedding ever. But when a mysterious, unseen supernatural evil rises up and starts attacking brides-to-be, Aveda must summon both her superheroine and best friend mojo to take down the enemy and make sure Evie’s wedding goes off without a hitch – or see both her city and her most important friendship destroyed forever.Urban fantasy | PBK | $19.95

The Night OceanLa Farge, Paul
Marina Willett MD’s husband, Charlie, has become obsessed with H P Lovecraft, in particular with one episode in the legendary horror writer’s life: In the summer of 1934, the ‘old gent’ lived for two months with a gay, teenage fan named Robert Barlow, at Barlow’s family home in central Florida. What were the two of them up to? Were they friends – or something more? Just when Charlie thinks he’s solved the puzzle, a new scandal erupts, and he disappears. The police say it’s suicide. Marina is a psychiatrist, and she doesn’t believe them…Lovecraft associational | TP | $29.99

Three Classic Novels (omnibus)Lafferty, R A
An omnibus edition collecting: Space Chantey, Fourth Mansions, Past Master. Three early masterpieces from one of science fiction’s great stylists. Acclaimed as one of the most original voices in modern literature, Raphael Aloysius Lafferty drew more from traditional oral storytelling techniques than from the usual pulp roots of SF. His inventive style and fondness for tall tales marked him out from his contemporaries, and writers of the calibre of Harlan Ellison, Neil Gaiman and Gene Wolfe acknowledge him as a major influence and force in the field. His fiction has garnered numerous award wins and nominations and he has been given the prestigious SFWA Grand Master Award and the World Fantasy Award for Lifetime Achievement.Science fiction | TP | $35.00

Annex (Violet Wars 01)Larson, Rich
At first, it is a nightmare. When the invaders arrive, the world as they know it is destroyed. Their friends are kidnapped. Their families are changed. Then it is a dream. With no adults left to run things, Violet and the others who have escaped capture are truly free for the first time. They can do whatever they want to do. They can be whoever they want to be. But the invaders won’t leave them alone for long.Science fiction | TP | $31.95

ProvenanceLeckie, Ann
A power-driven young woman has just one chance to secure the status she craves and regain priceless lost artefacts prized by her people. She must free their thief from a prison planet, from which no one has ever returned. Ingray and her charge will return to her home world to find their planet in political turmoil, at the heart of an escalating interstellar conflict. Together, they must make a new plan to salvage Ingray’s future, her family, and her world, before they are lost to her for good. The first in a new series by the multi-award-winning author of the Imperial Radch books (PBK, $19.99 each).Military SF | PBK | $19.99

Jade City (Green Bone Saga 01)Lee, Fonda
Jade is the lifeblood of the city of Janloon – a stone that enhances a warrior’s natural strength and speed. Jade is mined, traded, stolen and killed for, controlled by the ruthless No Peak and Mountain families. When a modern drug emerges that allows anyone – even foreigners – to wield jade, simmering tension between the two families erupts into open violence… The first in a series.Fantasy | PBK | $19.99

The Gathering Edge (Liaden Universe 20)Lee, Sharon & Miller, Steve
The luck runs rough around Theo Waitley. Not only are people trying to kill her and capture the self-aware, intelligent ship Bechimo to whom Theo is bonded, they’re also trying to arrest her crew members, and throw the dignity of an important passenger, the duly-constituted norbear ambassador Hevelin, into question. No wonder, Theo and her crew felt the need of a break, and retired to what Bechimo refers to as ‘safe space’. Unfortunately, safe space may not be so safe, anymore. It seems that things are leaking through from another universe, and another time. In fact, whole spaceships are coming through. One of those ships is a blasted battleship seemingly fleeing a long-lost war. What’s more, its crew may be members of Theo’s ancient ancestral line – her relatives. It’s certain that they are in dire need of help. Theo has a choice to make. It seems that Bechimo’s ‘safe space’ is about to become deadly perilous.Space opera | PBK | $19.95

Fiasco (Penguin Modern Classics)Lem, Stanislaw
’There were two kinds of landscape characteristic of the inner planets of the Sun: the purposeful and the desolate.’ The planet Quinta is pocked with ugly mounds and covered by a spiderweb-like network draped from spindly poles. It is a kingdom of phantoms and of a beauty afflicted by madness. The Earth spaceship Hermes arrives on Quinta, with the best of intentions towards the humans’ ‘brothers in intelligence’. But something on the planet has gone terribly wrong…Classic SF | PBK | $22.99

An Ocean of MinutesLim, Thea
Polly and Frank are young and in love, a lifetime together before them. But one evening in 1980, as the Texas sun sets over their shoulders, the world is suddenly pulled apart by a deadly virus. Within months, Frank is dying. Polly can save him, but only if she agrees to a radical plan: to time travel to 1993 for a corporation who can fund his life-saving treatment. She can only go forward, she cannot go back. And she must leave everything she loves behind, including Frank. All they have is the promise of a future together: they will find each other again in twelve years’ time, in Galveston, Texas, where the sea begins…Time travel | TP | $29.99

I Always Find YouLindqvist, John Ajvide
In September 1985, nineteen-year-old John Lindqvist moved into a dilapidated old building in Stockholm, planning to make his living as a magician. Something strange was going on in the locked shower room in the building’s basement – and the price of entry was just a little blood.Horror | TP | $32.99

Fugitive Six (Lorien Legacies Reborn 02)Lore, Pittacus
The Human Garde Academy was created in the aftermath of an alien invasion of Earth. It was meant to provide a safe haven for teens across the globe who were suddenly developing incredible powers known as Legacies. Taylor Cook was one of the newest students and had no idea if she’d ever fit in. But when she was mysteriously abducted, her friends broke every rule in the book to save her. In the process, they uncovered a secret organisation that was not only behind Taylor’s kidnapping, but also the disappearance of numerous teens with abilities. An organisation that has dark roots in the Loric’s past, untold resources, and potentially even a mole at their own school.YA fantasy | TP | $22.99

Noumenon Infinity (Noumenon 02)Lostetter, Marina JNoumenon was not the only mission to leave Earth behind, in the 22nd century. Physicist Vanhi Kapoor is the leader of Convoy 12. Hers is the smallest Planet United Mission and the only one working entirely within our solar system, but as Vanhi’s team pushes the boundaries of subdimensional research further than ever before, disaster strikes… A sequel to Noumenon, which is now available in paperback ($19.99).Science fiction | TP | $27.99

The Girl in the Green Silk Gown (Ghost Roads 02)McGuire, Seanan
Rose Marshall’s been sweet sixteen for more than sixty years, hitchhiking her way along the highways and byways of America, sometimes seen as an avenging angel, sometimes seen as a killer in her own right… but always Rose, the Phantom Prom Date, the Girl in the Green Silk Gown. When Bobby Cross comes back into the picture, there’s going to be hell to pay – possibly literally. Rose has worked for decades to make a place for herself in the twilight. Can she defend it, when Bobby Cross comes to take her down? A sequel to Sparrow Hill Road (TP, $31.95).Urban fantasy | TP | $31.95

PlanetsideMammay, Michael
War heroes aren’t usually called out of semi-retirement and sent to the far reaches of the galaxy for a routine investigation. So, when Colonel Carl Butler answers the call from an old and powerful friend, he knows it’s something big – and he’s not being told the whole story. A high councillor’s son has gone MIA, out of Cappa Base, the space station orbiting a battle-ravaged planet. The young lieutenant had been wounded and evacuated – but there’s no record of him having ever arrived at hospital command. The colonel quickly finds Cappa Base to be a labyrinth of dead ends and sabotage: the hospital commander stonewalls him, the Special Ops leader won’t come off the planet, witnesses go missing, radar data disappears, and that’s before he encounters the alien enemy… ‘A tough, authentic-feeling story that starts out fast and accelerates from there.’ – Jack Campbell.Military SF | PBK | $19.95

Nightflyers and Other Stories (collection)Martin, George R R
An epic collection of science fiction tales around space exploration and cosmic horror – with the titular story, ‘Nightflyers’, coming to Netflix in 2018. Also included are five additional, classic George R R Martin tales of science fiction that explore the breadth of technology and the dark corners of the human mind. An illustrated, hardcover edition ($24.99) will also be available this month.Speculative fiction collection | PBK | $17.99

Low Chicago (Wild Cards: USA Triad 02)Martin, George R R (editor)
The stakes were already high enough at Giovanni Galante’s poker table, that night in Chicago. Poker. Dealer’s choice. Seven players. A million-dollar cash buy-in. But after a super-powered mishap, the most high-profile criminals in the city are scattered throughout the past and their schemes across time threaten the stability of the world.Fantasy anthology | TP | $29.99

Constance Verity Saves the World (Constance Verity 02)Martinez, A Lee
In her Last Adventure, Connie successfully became an ordinary person. People warned her it would be boring, and they were right. That’s exactly why Connie loves it. But there’s an Adventurer-shaped hole in the cosmos, now, and a lot of interested parties eager to fill it. Not all of those candidates are fit for the role, and if The Adventurer falls into the wrong hands, it can lead to chaos and destruction. Constance still has all the skills of her old life, but she’s no longer the chosen one… Follows The Last Adventure of Constance Verity (TP, $31.95).Urban fantasy | TP | $33.95

The Emerald Sea (Glittering Court 03)Mead, Richelle
Tamsin Wright is unstoppable. She must become the Glittering Court’s diamond: the girl with the highest test scores, the most glamorous wardrobe, and the greatest opportunities to match with an elite suitor in the New World. Training alongside other girls in the Glittering Court, Tamsin immerses herself completely in lessons about etiquette, history, and music – everything a high-society wife would need to know. Once she’s married, she’ll be able to afford a better life for her family, so the sacrifice is worth it if she can be the best. When her friendship with Mira and Adelaide – her roommates at the Glittering Court – threatens her status as the top-ranked prospect, she does the only thing she knows will keep her on track: she cuts them out of her life. But when her voyage across the sea goes off course, Tamsin must use her unrelenting grit and determination to survive the harsh winter far north of her intended destination in hopes of making it back to the Glittering Court, in time to secure a proposal – and a comfortable future for her family. Experiencing new cultures and beliefs for the first time, Tamsin realises that her careful studies haven’t prepared her for everything, and with new alliances formed with roguish tradesman Jago Robinson and good-natured minister Gideon Stewart, Tamsin’s heart begins to be pulled in different directions. But she can’t let her brewing attraction get in the way of her ultimate goal: protecting the secret she holds closest to her heart, the one that would unravel everything she’s worked for, if it’s uncovered. Follows The Glittering Court (PBK, $19.99) and Midnight Jewel (TP, $24.99).Fantasy | TP | $24.99

The City and the City (Picador Classic)Miéville, China
When the body of a murdered woman is found in the extraordinary, decaying city of Beszel, somewhere at the edge of Europe, it looks like a routine case for Inspector Tyador Borlu of the Extreme Crime Squad. But as he probes, the evidence begins to point to conspiracies far stranger, and deadlier, than anything he could have imagined. Soon, his work puts him and those he cares for in danger. Borlu must travel to the only metropolis on Earth as strange as his own, across a border like no other. With shades of Kafka and Philip K Dick, Raymond Chandler and 1984, this is a murder mystery taken to dazzling metaphysical and artistic heights. Recommended!Interdimensional thriller reissue | PBK | $18.99

Outcasts of Order (Saga of Recluce 20)Modesitt Jr, L E
Beltur, an Order mage, discovers he possesses frightening powers not seen for hundreds of years. With his new abilities, he survives the war in Elparta and saves the lives of all. However, victory comes with a price. His fellow mages now see him as a threat to be destroyed, and the local merchants want to exploit his power. There’s only one way he can remain free and survive – he’s going to have to run.Fantasy | HC | $39.99

The DeathlessNewman, Peter
Born and reborn into flawless bodies, the Deathless are as immortal as the precious stones from which they take their names. For generations, a fragile balance has held. House Sapphire, one of the ancient Deathless families, is riven by suspicion and madness. Whole villages are disappearing as the hunting expeditions, holding the Wild at bay, begin to fail… The first in a new series from the Gemmell award-winning author Peter Newman.Fantasy | TP | $29.99

Spinning SilverNovik, Naomi
Miryem is the daughter and granddaughter of moneylenders, but her father is not a very good one. Free to lend and reluctant to collect, he has left his family on the edge of poverty – until Miryem intercedes. Hardening her heart, she sets out to retrieve what is owed, and soon gains a reputation for being able to turn silver into gold. But when an ill-advised boast brings her to the attention of the cold creatures who haunt the wood, nothing will be the same again. For words have power, and the fate of a kingdom will be forever altered by the challenge she is issued… A new take on the classic fairy tale Rumpelstiltskin, from Naomi Novik, the author of the award-winning Uprooted (PBK, $19.99).Fantasy | TP | $29.99

Outbreak (Nightshades 03) (novella)Olson, Melissa
Alex and Lindy are on the hook, and on the run. But when all of the BPI’s captive vampires are broken free from their maximum-security prison, and Hector finally steps out of the shadows, Alex must use every trick to stay ahead of both the BPI and the world’s most dangerous shade… Olson continues her novella series which begins with the fantastic Nightshades (PBK, $22.99).Paranormal | PBK | $24.99

Adjustment DayPalahniuk, Chuck
People pass the word only to those they trust most: Adjustment Day is coming. They’ve been reading a mysterious blue-black book and memorising its directives. They are ready for the reckoning. Smug, geriatric politicians hatch a nasty fate for the burgeoning population of young males; working-class men dream of burying the elites; and professors propound theories that offer students only the bleakest future. When it arrives, Adjustment Day inaugurates a new Disunited States of America.Alternate history/political satire | TP | $32.99

WitchmarkPolk, C L
In an original world reminiscent of Edwardian England in the shadow of a world war, cabals of noble families use their unique magical gifts to control the fates of nations, while one young man seeks only to live a life of his own. Magic marked Miles Singer for suffering, the day he was born – doomed either to be a slave to his family’s interest, or to be committed to a witches’ asylum. He went to war to escape his destiny and came home a different man, but he couldn’t leave his past behind. The war between Aeland and Laneer leaves men changed, strangers to their friends and family. Even after faking his own death and reinventing himself as a doctor – at a cash-strapped veteran’s hospital – Miles can’t hide what he truly is.Fantasy | PBK | $22.99

SummerlandRajaniemi, Hannu
Loss is a thing of the past. Murder is obsolete. Death is just the beginning. In 1938, death is no longer feared but exploited. Since the discovery of the afterlife, the British Empire has extended its reach into Summerland, a metropolis for the recently deceased. Yet, Britain isn’t the only contender for power, in this life and the next. The Soviets have spies in Summerland, and the technology to build their own god. When SIS agent Rachel White gets a lead on one of the Soviet moles, blowing the whistle puts her hard-earned career at risk. The spy has friends in high places, and she will have to go rogue to bring him in. But how do you catch a man who’s already dead?Science fiction | TP | $32.99

Ghosts of War: RetributionRobinson, Paul
Six months after the death of his mentor, Cole Traske is returning to work as the new leader of his former interplanetary shadow-ops squad, Penumbra. As they head towards their first target, Cole must balance the responsibility of leadership, the squabbling of his pilot and demolitions man, and the inexperience of their young new sniper. With a heavily scarred body and a history shrouded in secrecy, Cole has tried his best to steer clear of the curious, believing that his past should remain right where it is – in the past. Unfortunately for Cole, his hopes for an uneventful return to work are shattered by a chance encounter with a spectre from his past, Tobias Navarr. Tobias’s return, and its tragic consequences, propel Cole headlong into the pursuit of revenge that will take him beyond the edge of the galaxy and perhaps the edge of reason itself.Space opera | TP | $29.95

The Delirium Brief (Laundry Files 08)Stross, Charles
Now, the Laundry’s existence has become public, and Bob is being trotted out on TV, to answer pointed questions about elven asylum seekers. What neither Bob nor his managers have foreseen is that their organisation has earned the attention of a horror far more terrifying than any demon… The brilliant Laundry Files series begins with The Atrocity Archives (PBK, $19.99).Urban fantasy | PBK | $22.99

The Real-Town MurdersRoberts, Adam
Alma is a private detective in a near-future England, a country desperately trying to tempt people away from the delights of Shine, the immersive successor to the internet. But most people are happy to spend their lives plugged in, and the country is decaying. Alma’s partner is ill, and has to be treated, without fail, every four hours; a task that only Alma can do. If she misses the five-minute window her lover will die. She is one of the few, not to access the Shine. So, when Alma is called to an automated car factory to be shown an impossible death and finds herself caught up in a political coup, she knows that getting too deep may leave her unable to get home. Alma must evade arrest, digs into the conspiracy, and tries to work out how on earth a dead body appeared in the boot of a freshly-made car in a fully-automated factory.Science fiction | PBK | $19.99

Empire of Silence (Sun Eater 01)Ruocchio, Christopher
It was not his war. On the wrong planet, at the right time, for the best reasons, Hadrian Marlowe started down a path that could only end in fire. The galaxy remembers him as a hero: the man who burned every last alien Cielcin from the sky. They remember him as a monster: the devil who destroyed a sun, casually annihilating four billion human lives – even the Emperor himself – against Imperial orders. But Hadrian was not a hero. He was not a monster. He was not even a soldier. Fleeing his father and a future as a torturer, Hadrian finds himself stranded on a strange, backwater world. Forced to fight as a gladiator and navigate the intrigues of a foreign planetary court, he will find himself fighting a war he did not start, for an Empire he does not love, against an enemy he will never understand.Space fantasy | TP/HC | $29.99/$47.95

The Empire of Ashes (Draconis Memoria 03)Ryan, Anthony
Only small-time criminal Claydon Torcreek and master spy Lizanne Lethridge – along with their ragtag band of allies – stand between the white drake’s fury and the world’s end. To save the future, they must delve into the past – and unravel a timeless mystery that might just turn the tide… The conclusion of the great trilogy which began with The Waking Fire and The Legion of Flame (PBK, $19.99 each).Fantasy | PBK | $19.99

Sisters MederosSarath, Patrice
House Mederos was once the wealthiest merchant family in Port Saint Frey. Now the family is disgraced, impoverished, and humbled by the powerful Merchants Guild. Daughters Yvienne and Tesara Mederos are determined to uncover who was behind their family’s downfall and get revenge. But Tesara has a secret: could it have been her wild magic that caused the storm that destroyed the family’s merchant fleet? The sisters’ schemes quickly get out of hand – gambling is one thing, but robbing people is another. Together, the sisters must trust each another to keep their secrets and save their family. This is Ron’s new favourite!Fantasy | PBK | $19.99

Unlocked: An Oral History of Haden’s Syndrome (Lock in prequel) (novella)Scalzi, John
Discover the history of Haden’s Syndrome, the virus that created the world of John Scalzi’s inventive near-future thrillers Lock In and Head On. Not long from now, a virus will sweep the globe. Most will suffer no worse than flu-like symptoms, but an unlucky one percent will be changed forever. This is the story of the doctors, scientists, engineers, politicians, and heroes who remade the world. It is the story of the chaotic outbreak, the fight for a cure, the changes that followed. It is an oral history, straight from the mouths of those who survived the most dynamic period in human history.Science fiction | TP | $26.95

The Book of MShepherd, Peng
In the middle of a market in India, a man’s shadow disappears. As rolling twenty-four-hour news coverage tries to explain the event, more cases are discovered. The phenomenon spreads like a plague as people learn the true cost of their lost part: their memories. Two years later, Ory and his wife Max have escaped ‘the Forgetting’ by hiding in an abandoned hotel deep in the woods in Virginia. They have settled into their new reality, until Max, too, loses her shadow…Magical realism | TP | $27.99

The Darkest Warrior (Lords of the Underworld 14)Showalter, Gena
Gillian Shaw has suffered many tragedies in her too-short life, but nothing could have prepared the fragile human for her transition into immortality. To survive, she must wed a horned monster who both intrigues and frightens her… and become the warrior queen she was born to be. As a rising sense of possession and obsession overtake Puck, so does insatiable lust. The more he learns about his clever, resourceful wife, the more he craves her. And the more time Gillian spends with her protective husband, the more she aches for him. But the prophecy also predicts an unhappily-ever-after. Can Puck defeat fate itself to keep the woman who brought his deadened heart back to life? Or will they succumb to destiny, losing each other… and everything they’ve been fighting for?Paranormal romance | PBK | $19.99

Royal BastardsShvarts, Andrew
Being a bastard blows. Tilla would know. Her father, Lord Kent of the Western Province, loved her as a child, but cast her aside – as soon as he had trueborn children. When Tilla and her half-brother, Jax, lead the visiting Princess Lyriana on a late-night escapade with their fellow bastards, they stumble upon a crime they were never meant to witness – a brutal coup. The bastards band together, realising they alone have the power to prevent a civil war that will tear their kingdom apart… This funny, action-packed debut is a young-adult send-up of Game of Thrones, and is the first in a series.YA fantasy | PBK | $18.99

Friendly Fire (Bastard Legion 02)Smith, Gavin G
The most dangerous criminals are kept in suspended animation aboard prison ships and ‘rehabilitated’ in a shared virtual reality environment. But Miska Storrow, a thief and hacker with a background in black ops, has stolen one of these ships, the Hangman’s Daughter, and made it her own… A sequel to The Bastard Legion (PBK, $22.99).Space opera | PBK | $22.99

Hidden World (Imperials 03)Snodgrass, Melinda
Fourteen years have passed since he was framed for theft to cover up an imperial atrocity, and disgraced military officer Thracius ‘Tracy’ Belmanor has built a new life for himself. Living under an assumed name as the captain of a small trading vessel, crewed primarily by aliens; he and his crew engage in both legal and illegal deals just under the radar of the Solar League authorities. At the other end of the social hierarchy, Princess Mercedes de Arango has her own problems – the major one being the lack of an heir. Meanwhile, her philandering husband Boho Cullen has ably proved the problem isn’t him. With rumours of a coup swirling around the throne, Mercedes makes the desperate decision to undertake a military campaign and gain her people’s allegiance through a victory. But when things go badly wrong and her future lies in the hands of the man she betrayed, Tracy has a choice to make – can he ever forgive her? A sequel to The High Ground and In Evil Times (PBK, $19.99 each).Science fiction | TP | $29.95

Mercy PointSnoekstra, Anna
In real life, they are enemies. Emma the know-it-all, Michael the bully, Fabian the coward, Tessie the weirdo, and Sam the mystery. Online, they are best friends, with one big thing in common: they are all sure they are adopted. When they finally meet, they are horrified to find that the people they have been sharing their souls with are the people they hate. They decide to never speak again. But avoiding each other is difficult in a small mountain town with only one high school. It’s also tough to ignore one another – when they each begin to realise that what their parents are hiding is much more sinister than just adoption…YA supernatural thriller | TP | $19.99

Blood CruiseStrandberg, Mats
On the Baltic Sea, no one can hear you scream. Tonight, twelve hundred expectant passengers have joined the booze-cruise, between Sweden and Finland. The creaking old ship travels this same route, back and forth, every day of the year. In the middle of the night, the ferry is suddenly cut off from the outside world. There is nowhere to escape. There is no way to contact the mainland. And no one knows whom they can trust. Welcome aboard, the Baltic Charisma.Horror | TP | $32.99

CicadaTan, Shaun
Cicada works in an office, dutifully toiling day after day for unappreciative bosses and being bullied by his co-workers. But one day, Cicada goes to the roof of the building, and something truly extraordinary happens… A story for anyone who has ever felt unappreciated, overlooked, or overworked, from Australia’s most acclaimed picture book creator.Picture book | HC | 26.99

Redemption’s Blade (After the War 01)Tchaikovsky, Adrian
Ten years ago, the Kinslayer returned from the darkness. His brutal Yorughan armies issued from the pits of the earth, crushing all resistance, leaving burnt earth and corruption behind. Thrones toppled and cities fell. And then he died. Celestaine – one of the heroes that destroyed him – has tasked herself with correcting the worst excesses of the Kinslayer’s brief reign, bringing light back to a broken world. With two Yorughan companions, she faces fanatics, war criminals and the Kinslayer’s former minions, as the fragile alliances of the War break down into feuding and greed. The Kinslayer may be gone, but he cast a long shadow: one from which she may never truly escape.Fantasy | TP | $26.95

The Future is Blue (collection)Valente, Catherynne M
A major new collection – from one of the most dazzling, distinctive voices in the literary world – in a pricey, limited, hardback, Subterranean Press edition.Speculative fiction | HC | $76.95

The Wild Dead (Bannerless 02)Vaughn, Carrie
A century after environmental and economic collapse, the people of the Coast Road have rebuilt their own sort of civilisation, striving not to make the mistakes their ancestors did. They strictly ration and manage resources, including the ability to have children. Enid of Haven is an investigator, who with her new partner, Teeg, is called on to mediate a dispute over an old building in a far-flung settlement at the edge of Coast Road territory. The investigators’ decision seems straightforward – and then the body of a young woman turns up in the nearby marshland. Almost more shocking than that, she’s not from the Coast Road, but from one of the outsider camps belonging to the nomads and wild folk who live outside the Coast Road communities. Now, one of them is dead, and Enid wants to find out who killed her, even as Teeg argues that the murder isn’t their problem. In a dystopian future of isolated communities, can our moral sense survive the worst hard times? A sequel to Bannerless (TP, $29.95).Dystopia | TP | $29.95

Little EveWard, Catriona
Eve and Dinah are everything to one another, never parted day or night. They are raised among the Children, a commune of strays and orphans ruled by Uncle, the mysterious patriarch. All they know is the grey Isle of Altnaharra which sits in the black sea off the wildest coast of Scotland. Eve loves the free, savage life of the Isle and longs to inherit Uncle’s vision. Dinah longs for something other. But the world is at war and cannot be kept at bay. As the solitude of the island is broken, Eve’s faith and sanity fracture…Gothic horror | TP | $29.99

ArtemisWeir, Andy
You grew up on the moon, of course, you have a dark side… Jazz is a small-time criminal, subsidising work as a porter on the moon with smuggling a little contraband. Planning the perfect crime in one-sixth gravity was never going to be easy, especially as there is a conspiracy at the heart of Artemis… Recommended!Science fiction | PBK | $19.99

The Killing of Worlds (Succession Duology 02)Westerfeld, Scott
Cut off by an Imperial blockade of the planet, a Rix compound mind has guided a lone Rix commando, Herd, a single warrior backed by the intelligence of an entire planet, and pitted her against the Imperial army in a desperate attempt to break the blockade. Ten light-years away, a deadly game of political intrigue against the Emperor plays out in his war council. One senator suspects the Rix mind has found a hidden weakness, a secret so dangerous to the Emperor that he is willing to countenance the ultimate crime… The killing of worlds. The sequel to The Risen Empire (PBK, $19.95), which was reissued last month.Science fiction reissue | PBK | $19.95